All teams were in action on Wednesday, providing Golden Week entertainment for fans across the nation. A one-day spectacle that deviates from the back-to-back days of regular-season action, the tactical adjustments that take place between games and the physical and mental exhaustion that teams cope with.

Be that as it may, the Tochigi Brex don’t need to look at Wednesday’s result to underscore the significance of the team’s not-so-subtle transformation in recent weeks.

The Brex, a dynamic all-around squad under former coach Tom Wisman during their 2016-17 title-winning season, are a pesky, in-sync collection of players who’ve embraced new bench boss Ryuzo Anzai’s brand of demonic defense.

“Defense is my focus,” guard Yudai Maemura told reporters on Sunday at Brex Arena Utsunomiya after Tochigi had dismantled the Sunrockers Shibuya game plan in a 74-61 verdict a day after holding the visitors to 55 points en route to a 16-point margin of victory.

Source: Tough defense makes difference for Tochigi | The Japan Times